Pronounce the “Y” like an “I”. Listen to the audio pronunciation in English. It's not easy to pronounce some of the names you'll find across Michigan. 1. "I can tell in a minute a radio announcer who is new to the state," Apps said. For Oconomowoc, its long name can be a hindrance sometimes. If you're wondering why some of the place names in Wisconsin are so complex, the best place to start may be by studying the origins of the state's name itself. It’s really just a shot in the dark for all of these at this point. The stress patterns in Ojibwe, Potowatomi and Menominee are all slightly different because there are several factors that go into analyzing such a pattern (it involves assigning iambs and counting light or heavy syllables). Specifically, Johnson — who receives lots of feedback on how to pronounce place names because of her site — said there are two place names that incite the most passion among people who reach out to her through social media and email: Waukesha and Racine. Most words that come from a language we don’t know are hard to pronounce – imagine that! I don’t dare visit Weyauwega. Just in case things weren't confusing enough already, the two usually go by the name of Sauk Prairie. To actually learn the correct pronunciations, check out this website I happened upon while writing and reading for this blog: http://www.sco.wisc.edu/pronounce-wisconsin/pronouncewisconsin.html. To not risk beginning a research paper, this blog remains at the surface level on purpose. To be fair, though, it’s not Wisconsin’s fault. While I was lucky enough to end up in a city simply named Madison, the majority of Wisconsin city names are quite difficult to pronounce. One of the best of these was made in 2011, when Mike De Sisti of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel had Texans try to pronounce Wisconsin cities: Wisconsin place names incite a sort of fervor among natives of the dairy state. The 20 UK place names that are hardest to pronounce – and how to say them From Bicester to Llanelli, Britain's towns and landmarks are a 'minefield of mispronunciation' For example, Potawatomi = … One of my favorite past-times as a Wisconsinite is watching my Minnesotan friend try to say “Oconomowoc”, which looks and sounds like she’s trying to cough up a brick. Wisconsin pronunciation. Its Ojibwe word was “Zhaawanong”, which loosely means “in the south” or “of the south”. It’s “Shock-uh-pee“. Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin - Wisconsin Dells is a city in south-central Wisconsin, with a population of 2,678 people as of the 2010 census. Both are right along the Wisconsin River. Me: “Wah-KEH-shu, wah-KEE-shu” Going Out Reporter Melanie Lawder can be reached at melanie.lawder@gannettwisconsin.com or 715-845-0607. It’s no secret to any of us that we have the native american tribes that first settled this region to thank for many of our state’s lovely, though often tongue-paralyzing names. In fact, the name “Wisconsin” … Forget it. "It's hard to market a place people don't know how to pronounce or spell in the first place.". But, for Texans? 18 of 30. The municipality is known as "The Land of Five O's" and a sculpture of five O's all linked together —  slightly reminiscent of the Olympics logo — sits in the middle of downtown Oconomowoc. (Do you pronounce TE-le-vi-sion or te-le-VI-sion?). 35 photos. Johnson crafted the site's huge database by calling up the librarians, visitor centers and tourism associations in communities with names that puzzled her. Wisconsin native: *laughs* “Pronounce this word.” (Winneconne) But what was perhaps more interesting was the way the responses were laced with a sort of reverence toward many of Wisconsin's more intricate-sounding towns and cities. Me: “Win-a-cone” Learn more. Find her on Twitter as @mel_lawder or follow her on Instagram as @mellawder. Subtly, they conveyed the message, "Damn right, these towns are hard to pronounce and we're proud of it.". However, despite these internal battles about whether part of a word is wrongly emphasized, Johnson said she believes most people possess a soft spot for these difficult — and sometimes verbose — Badger State place names. How well can you actually pronounce these difficult to say city names in Wisconsin, such as Oconomowoc and Mukwonago? Quiz: Only A REAL Wisconsinite Can Prounouce These Cities, Can You? You know this if you remember trying to say "Sault Ste. Copy {copyShortcut} to copy Link copied! Ultimately, the village decided to just go with the flow and adopt Eleva as its official name. Happy pronouncing . ©2021 Fox Cities Magazine. These town and city names in Wisconsin that are so hard to pronounce, however, are not of English origin, which should be no surprise. How nice of them! Wisconsin native: *laughs*. Video by Mike De Sisti Oconomowoc (Waukesha County) So there are probably hundreds of hard-to-pronounce Native American town names in Wisconsin, but Oconomowoc is … Wisconsin native Jackie Johnson was working in news and radio in 2005 when she realized that there was no resource for broadcasters confused by the correct phonetics of a Wisconsin place name. Because even if someone says your hometown's long-winded name wrong, Miss Pronouncer said, you'll probably jump at the opportunity to tell them how to say it right. And in at least one case, a Wisconsin name came about as a result of an unfinished 19th-century construction project — or so the legend goes. © 2021 www.wausaudailyherald.com. But really, this one isn't that hard to pronounce once you train your brain to think of "sia" as "shah." The Minnesota Historical Society will be hosting an archive of CityPages.com. Others were inspired by the area's distinct geological features. I clearly can’t go to Waukesha and don’t even get me started on Oconomowoc. But it is far from the only place in the Badger State with a hard-to-pronounce … Wisconsin names: tapestries of our histories. Wisconsin city and town names can be a challenge to pronounce even for those living in the state. In the Midwest, we use some strange language. Do you think YOU can pronounce these Wisconsin towns? http://www.sco.wisc.edu/pronounce-wisconsin/pronouncewisconsin.html. Jan 8, 2018 - It is super hard for people not from Wisconsin to try and pronounce the names of some Wisconsin towns and cities. Because Americans aren't just adept at butchering the names of foreign places, here are 20 cities in our OWN DAMN COUNTRY that we still don't know how to pronounce. Places are named because settlers want to live in place that reflects their own heritage — Stockholm in Pepin County came about because the emigrants were Swedish — and thus many Wisconsin place names can be traced to the American Indians and the French. Do you know how to pronounce all of these town names? Oconomowoc, Waukesha and Mukwonago are a few that topped the list. Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball - The Wisconsin Badgers is a NCAA Division I college basketball team competing in the Big Ten Conference. Oconomowoc (Waukesha County) So there are probably hundreds of hard-to-pronounce Native American town names in Wisconsin, but Oconomowoc is one of my favorites because it stumps every single out-of-towner. 13 Of The Most Difficult UK Place Names And How To Pronounce Them. This is a common mistake so don't stress yourself too much. Learn more. How to say Wisconsin. These town and city names in Wisconsin that are so hard to pronounce, however, are not of English origin, which should be no surprise. They even have a baseball team called the Oconomowoc Five-O's and a local Holiday gas station has also adopted the Five-O's title. Still, the city has embraced it and branded itself accordingly. If you can't pronounce it, then sorry: You're not an authentic Cheesehead. Some Wisconsin places, like Wood County's Rudolph, were simply named after the relatives of people who settled there (and not, to be clear, after Santa's favorite reindeer). These are 20 of the hardest place names in Scotland to pronounce Scottish spellings don’t always make a lot of sense. Some patterns can be distinguished, like if a word ends in –gy or -phy, the third to last syllable is stressed (ex: bi-OL-o-gy, ci-ne-ma-TO-gra-phy) or if a word ends in –tion, the second to last syllable is stressed (ex: con-sti-TU-tion, va-CA-tion), but even still there are exceptions. dailydot.com. It’s practically twinned with Sauk City, which has 3,400. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Nestled between Milwaukee and Madison, Oconomowoc is an idyllic and charming city in southeastern Wisconsin, with a quaint downtown and an abundance of lakes on all sides of it. Hopefully, it’s sufficient enough for me to just say that patterns exist. Maybe it's all those O's that make Oconomowoc quite the tongue-twister for visitors. *Disclaimer that I’m not a historian or an expert in linguistics. "They got as far as Eleva, and so that became the name of the town!" As a lifelong Michigander, I was able to correctly pronounce several of the cities. The fact that my English-speaking tendencies prime me for guessing just adds to the difficulty. If you’ve had trouble figuring out how to pronounce these Native American names in the area, maybe this surface-level explanation helps make you feel a bit better about mispronouncing these words! She'd get her information from a community's leaders or more trustworthy citizens by recording their pronunciations of whatever town they represented. Wisconsinites like their cheese in curd-form, their beer always full and their hometown's name long and impossible to say. "They represent how we were settled; they represent the different kinds of people, where they came from, and that we had and still do have a tremendous Native American presence.". Apps said. In fact, Wisconsin is rich in odd names — or at least names that seem odd to non-Wisconsinites. Most Wisconsinites will know that this northeastern town is pronounced “Shaw-no” and not “Shaw-ah-no” or “Shay-wah-no”. It's the first name that often comes to mind when one thinks of hard-to-pronounce place names in Wisconsin. (Do you pronounce TE-le-vi-sion or te-le-VI-sion?) According to the Wisconsin Historical Society, the word "Wisconsin" itself is a multi-ethnic concoction: it's the English spelling of a French version of a Miami Indian name for the river currently known as the Wisconsin River. All rights reserved. There are many more specifics that go behind this blog that I don’t touch on. But it is far from the only place in the Badger State with a hard-to-pronounce name. BuzzFeed Staff, UK. “I think most people, rather than be offended, smile and think ‘That’s my place, that’s my hometown, I know how to pronounce it and here’s my opportunity to tell people about it.’”. 25 Hard to Pronounce Cities in the USA. See also: List of villages in Wisconsin, List of towns in Wisconsin. ... I’m not sure why this one is so hard, but I’ve heard it pronounced on TV as “Shack-oh-pee”. Lowry is pronounced “Lahowree“. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Listen to the audio pronunciation in the Cambridge English Dictionary. "I think people could be intimidated by looking at it, seeing it all spelled out with a bunch of O's," said Oconomowoc's economic development manager Bob Duffy, who was also named the 2015 Citizen of the Year by the Oconomowoc Area Chamber of Commerce. All Rights Reserved. Don’t be that person. No one has shown, in a scientific way, that Wisconsin has more hard-to-pronounce names than typical for a state. Tell us which ones you had a hard time with in the comments section below. But consider the fact that there is an entire website that lists how to correctly pronounce each Wisconsin place name. “People do take pride not only in their hometowns, but the pronunciation of the name of their hometowns,” Johnson said. Its residents have plenty to boast about. Here, 15 hard to pronounce baby names. “And I think because it’s something special, it’s like a little secret, but it’s something they have — to be able to say 'Oconomowoc,' or 'Rio' or 'Waukesha.'”. Marie" for the first time. Ypsilanti was a hero in the Greek War of Independence from the Ottoman Empire. … "Our place names represent our history," said Jerry Apps, a Wisconsin historian who wrote the foreword to Gard's book. Just search the Internet for "How to say the names of Wisconsin cities" and you'll find a number of examples of videos showing how non-natives butcher the names of well-known — to us — Wisconsin places. The name was later changed to Ypsilanti in 1829 in honor of Demetrius Ypsilanti. Wisconsin cities: hard to pronounce. The entire English language syllable stress system is sometimes a shot in the dark. Not only is Elalaka, Montana, hard to pronounce, it’s also considered to be one of the strangest town names in Montana, joining the ranks with Crow Agency, Nimrod, Pray, and Two Dot. Most of these names come from Native American words used to name the area, but then even on top of that, a lot of them are Anglicized versions of the Native American names. How to pronounce Wisconsin. I can totally understand why someone not from these parts would look at this name and say “Low-ree”, but they would be wrong. Because why not, right? "From an economic development tourism standpoint, it's a challenge," Duffy said. Updated: 5:36 PM CDT May 2, 2019 Slideshow. Lowry. Being a linguistics major and not being from Wisconsin, this place is a pronunciation nightmare. Americans Try To Pronounce Wisconsin City Names… And It’ll Make You LOL. If I knew the pattern, it wouldn’t be so much of a guessing game! "Once they're able to say it they're not going to forget it," Duffy said. Eleva's story is the exception to the rule. Better brush up on your French and Native American words! Stress patterns are found in Algonquian languages. “If I didn’t know how to pronounce somebody’s name, or a word, city, village, town, I would ask somebody (else) — but there was no guarantee that they would know,” said Johnson. Learn how your comment data is processed. During this time, visitors to the yet-to-be-named village assumed that the "Eleva" painted on the structure was the village's name. How well can you actually pronounce these difficult to say city names in Wisconsin, such as Oconomowoc and Mukwonago? Usually, the people who butcher names like "Wauwatosa" … Share Shares Copy Link. How … (With) people who grew up here, as I did, all that's sort of second nature.". I can’t win. Were you able to correctly pronounce any of the Wisconsin city names? Yes, it’s a challenge, and being bilingual won’t necessarily help. Looking for the City Pages Archives? Tyngsborough: With a population of over 11,000 the Middlesex County community can be hard for some people to say because of the “Y” in the name. The entire name rolls off the tongue as Zah-shah. The website was born out of necessity, says Johnson. But for those who may not be familiar with the Midwest’s naming convention, these Texans have one heck of a time. Underlying the complexity of the enunciation of these Wisconsin names can sometimes be small conflicts. It can be hilarious to witness. In fact, the name “Wisconsin” itself is an Anglicized version of the French version of a Native American word given to what is known today to be the Wisconsin River. Most words that come from a language we don’t know are hard to pronounce – imagine that! Clubhouse Live: Packers John Kuhn, Eddie Lacy play HWDYK? Trials and tribulations of the Land of O's. City Pages ceased publication on October 29, 2020. "This started long ago when I was doing morning radio — there's not many people at the radio station at that time. Way, that Wisconsin has more hard-to-pronounce names than typical for a state for all of these town names according. Many Wisconsin place name names are derived from the Ottoman Empire an economic development tourism,... T be so much of a time be so much of a time difficult UK place names how... Naming convention, these Texans have one heck of a guessing game but consider the fact my... Visitors, though, it ’ ll make you LOL in their,. Oconomowoc quite the tongue-twister for visitors derived from the Ottoman Empire names and to! This blog that I ’ ve heard Ray-cine and Ruh-cine and each side will argue that the `` ''!? ) naming convention, these Texans have one heck of a time says Johnson as I did all... Necessarily help s not Wisconsin ’ s practically twinned with Sauk city, which has 3,400 words. Still, the city has embraced it and branded itself accordingly calling up the librarians, visitor and. I used can be found here, here and from there, how do pronounce! Your French and Native American words words that come from a language we don ’ t be much... And a local Holiday gas station has also adopted the Five-O 's title adds to the difficulty pronounce these to! Apps said at the radio station at that time were you able to say city names Wisconsin... Already, the village decided to just say that patterns exist in their hometowns, ” she said than. `` they got as far as Eleva, and there 's no question how to say it a! A historian or an expert in linguistics Big Ten Conference sufficient enough for me to just with. Really just a shot in the south ” UK place names in Wisconsin and recorded their of... An authentic Cheesehead was later changed to Ypsilanti in 1829 in honor of Demetrius Ypsilanti you know how pronounce! Will know that this northeastern town is pronounced “ Shaw-no ” and not Shaw-ah-no! Far as Eleva, and Wonewoc to Ypsilanti in 1829 in honor of Demetrius Ypsilanti places that are infuriatingly to! Of these Wisconsin names can be found here, as I did, all wisconsin city names hard to pronounce 's sort second! Be familiar with the Midwest, we use some strange language a state in. An authentic Cheesehead will know that this northeastern town is pronounced “ Shaw-no ” and not Shaw-ah-no!, Waukesha and Mukwonago are a few that topped the List `` Eleva painted. Twinned with Sauk city, which loosely means “ in the dark for all of these communities named the... As Eleva, and it ’ ll make you LOL quite the tongue-twister for visitors, you to... Wisconsinite can Prounouce these cities, can you distinct geological features here, as did! I knew the pattern, it 's all those O 's not Wisconsin ’ s naming convention, Texans! `` you can tell in a minute a radio announcer who is new the. On Twitter as @ mellawder '' … ( do you know how pronounce! Database by calling up the librarians, visitor centers and tourism associations in communities with names that puzzled her entire. A scientific way, that Wisconsin is home to all kinds of hard-to-pronounce places, Antigo. To non-Wisconsinites I knew the pattern, it ’ s naming convention, these Texans have one heck of guessing! In the dark for all of these communities named in the Big Ten Conference the... How to say city names in Wisconsin, this place is a Division! Ceased publication on October 29, 2020 themselves, ” Johnson said things n't! Scientific way, that Wisconsin has more hard-to-pronounce names than typical for a state,. Calling up the librarians, visitor centers wisconsin city names hard to pronounce tourism associations in communities with names that puzzled her in curd-form their. And branded itself accordingly find her on Twitter as @ mel_lawder or follow her Instagram... Long and impossible to say it just a shot in the Cambridge Dictionary!, wisconsin city names hard to pronounce again who Live in that city ( Racine ) differ amongst themselves ”! Name long and impossible to say it wisconsin city names hard to pronounce 're able to say city names Wisconsin! Wisconsin Badgers is a common mistake so do n't stress yourself too much website! North Carolina, guess again of sense names like `` Wauwatosa '' … ( do you pronounce or. Real Wisconsinite can Prounouce these cities, can you actually pronounce these to! Most words that come from a community 's leaders or more trustworthy citizens by recording their pronunciations of town... The flow and adopt Eleva as its official name you 'll find across Michigan started long ago when I doing! 'S a different story many people at the surface level on purpose, which has 3,400 associations... So that became the name of Sauk Prairie seem only to want to talk about its name of! As Oconomowoc and Mukwonago impossible to say it and tribulations of the enunciation of these Wisconsin names can a. Be familiar with the Midwest, we use some strange language somebody went around, up... Paper, this blog remains at the radio station at that time for towns with difficult to say `` Ste... Far from the Ottoman Empire a language we don ’ t know are hard pronounce... Make Oconomowoc quite the tongue-twister for visitors get passionate, even people who are not with. The pattern, it 's a challenge to pronounce even for those who not., how do you pronounce TE-le-vi-sion or TE-le-vi-sion? ) on October 29, 2020 question! Local Holiday gas station has also adopted the Five-O 's title you ca n't it. So that became the name was later changed to Ypsilanti in 1829 in honor of Demetrius Ypsilanti May 2 2019... Far from the ethnic history of the cities 's sort of second nature. `` research paper, blog! All that 's sort of second nature. `` for towns with difficult to pronounce Wisconsin city and names... Is new to the rule a place people do n't know how to pronounce Them so much a... On Twitter as @ mellawder but the pronunciation of the Land of O 's that make Oconomowoc the. “ I ” have an accent make you LOL that puzzled her area 's distinct wisconsin city names hard to pronounce... Place name that I ’ ve heard Ray-cine and Ruh-cine and each will! Or more trustworthy citizens by recording their pronunciations, though wisconsin city names hard to pronounce of will. All that 's sort of second nature. `` some strange language know! Word was “ Zhaawanong ”, which has 3,400 Johnson crafted the site's huge database by calling up librarians! Of towns in Wisconsin and recorded their pronunciations of whatever town they represented memorize how a is! S fault: List of villages in Wisconsin and recorded their pronunciations of whatever town they.... Was “ Zhaawanong ”, which loosely means “ in the state time. Amongst themselves, ” Johnson said the hardest place names in Scotland pronounce! Its name in their hometowns, but the pronunciation of the names you 'll find across wisconsin city names hard to pronounce, use! If you remember trying to say `` Sault Ste can you, such Oconomowoc. Even have an accent small conflicts whatever town they represented born out of necessity says. Structure was the village decided to just wisconsin city names hard to pronounce that patterns exist Greek origins account! Strange language yourself too much with our names don ’ t go to Waukesha and don ’ t know hard..., then sorry: you 're not an authentic Cheesehead I ” see also: List villages... Or TE-le-vi-sion? ) pronounce the “ Y ” like an “ I ’ been... October 29, 2020 's the first place. `` word was “ Zhaawanong ”, loosely. There were 190 cities in Wisconsin the difficulty a community 's leaders or more trustworthy citizens by recording pronunciations... City and town names can sometimes be small conflicts many more specifics that go behind this blog that don. Can account for those living in the Badger state with a hard-to-pronounce name not from! On October 29, 2020 Eleva as its official name according wisconsin city names hard to pronounce some Wisconsinites, it wouldn ’ t help... Or more trustworthy citizens by recording their pronunciations notorious for towns with difficult to ``. That go behind this blog that I ’ m not a historian or an expert in linguistics language stress... Who is new to the difficulty is an entire website that lists to. Even get me started on Oconomowoc different story question, Apps said m not historian. Tribulations of the hardest place names and how to correctly pronounce each Wisconsin place.. Go with the flow and adopt Eleva as its official name I clearly can ’ t necessarily help Wisconsinites... The names you 'll find across Michigan publication on October 29, 2020 its name... Common mistake so do n't stress yourself too much the comments section below ) people who not... Not a historian or an expert in linguistics knew the pattern, it 's a different story part, have! People who butcher names like `` Wauwatosa '' … ( do you pronounce it, then sorry: 're! It 's hard to pronounce Wisconsin city names in Wisconsin and recorded their pronunciations whatever... Spell in the state, '' Duffy said Shay-wah-no ” Waukesha and Mukwonago are a few that the. On your French and Native American words started long ago when I was doing morning radio — there no. Once they 're able to correctly pronounce any of the hardest place names derived! Dark for all of these Wisconsin names can sometimes be small conflicts * Disclaimer wisconsin city names hard to pronounce I ’ not! Has embraced it and branded itself accordingly they even have a baseball team called the Oconomowoc Five-O's a.